Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Havoc
Today is a big bout for my home league, the Quad-City Rollers, as we head to Iowa City to play the Old Capital City Roller Girls in the second Monster's Brawl. We've been working on a few things and we plan on trying some different things out
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Roller derby on October 23, 2010
This is a big weekend for roller derby here in the Midwest.
My own home league will be playing its first true home double-header. The Quad-City Rollers' B-team will open the Oct. 23, 2010, bout against Eastern Iowa Outlaw's (Dubuque, Iowa) B-team. In the main event, the Q-C's A-team will play against the Des Moines (Iowa) Derby Dames, who comes off a tough loss against Sioux CityDerby Roller Dames (Sioux City, Iowa) 145-153.
Our little big sister league, Iowa City's Old Capitol City Roller Girls will head up north to play Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Rollergirls, hoping to dethrone one of Iowa's derby powerhouses.
Over in Illinois, the Peoria Push Derby Dames hold their first home bout, "Silence of the Jams," at the East Peoria Convention Center on Oct. 23.
Further south, the So Ill Roller Girls of Marion, Illinois, play host to the Arch Rival Roller Girls' St. Lunachix at the Williamson County Pavilion in Marion. The St. Louis Gatekeepers, St. Louis' men's roller league, will have a pre-bout scrimmage.
Up north in Wisconsin, Chippewa Valley Roller Girls will play the Bull Falls Roller Dolls at the Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Doh! I nearly forgot the Rolling Along The River roller derby tournament hosted by the Sioux City (Iowa) Roller Dames at the Long Lines Family Rec Center. The tournament will feature the Sioux City Roller Dames, Rushmore Rollerz, Mississippi Valley Mayhem, Harbor City Roller Dames, Babe City Rollers, Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls, Muddy River Nightmares and the Norfolk Bruizin' Bettys.
The tournament will also feature a men's team tournament featuring the Race City Rebels, TC Terros, Milwaukee Blitztdkreig and the Rock City Riot.
If I miss anyone, please leave a comment. There are so many teams springing up all over so it's hard to stay up-to-date on all of them.
And if someone wants to write-up a game summary, including scoring, let me know, and I'll be happy to post it here or post a link to your blog or website.
Also we'll have a couple of previews heading into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's 2010 championship tournament Uproar on the Lake Shore on Nov. 5-7 in Chicago, so stay tuned. I've already gotten word back from Jennifer Smith of Nashville, and I hope to hear back from Minnesota and Naptown soon. I'll be sending out a few more interview requests today and hope to hear back from them soon.
My own home league will be playing its first true home double-header. The Quad-City Rollers' B-team will open the Oct. 23, 2010, bout against Eastern Iowa Outlaw's (Dubuque, Iowa) B-team. In the main event, the Q-C's A-team will play against the Des Moines (Iowa) Derby Dames, who comes off a tough loss against Sioux City
Our little big sister league, Iowa City's Old Capitol City Roller Girls will head up north to play Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Rollergirls, hoping to dethrone one of Iowa's derby powerhouses.
Over in Illinois, the Peoria Push Derby Dames hold their first home bout, "Silence of the Jams," at the East Peoria Convention Center on Oct. 23.
Further south, the So Ill Roller Girls of Marion, Illinois, play host to the Arch Rival Roller Girls' St. Lunachix at the Williamson County Pavilion in Marion. The St. Louis Gatekeepers, St. Louis' men's roller league, will have a pre-bout scrimmage.
Up north in Wisconsin, Chippewa Valley Roller Girls will play the Bull Falls Roller Dolls at the Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Doh! I nearly forgot the Rolling Along The River roller derby tournament hosted by the Sioux City (Iowa) Roller Dames at the Long Lines Family Rec Center. The tournament will feature the Sioux City Roller Dames, Rushmore Rollerz, Mississippi Valley Mayhem, Harbor City Roller Dames, Babe City Rollers, Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls, Muddy River Nightmares and the Norfolk Bruizin' Bettys.
The tournament will also feature a men's team tournament featuring the Race City Rebels, TC Terros, Milwaukee Blitztdkreig and the Rock City Riot.
If I miss anyone, please leave a comment. There are so many teams springing up all over so it's hard to stay up-to-date on all of them.
And if someone wants to write-up a game summary, including scoring, let me know, and I'll be happy to post it here or post a link to your blog or website.
Also we'll have a couple of previews heading into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's 2010 championship tournament Uproar on the Lake Shore on Nov. 5-7 in Chicago, so stay tuned. I've already gotten word back from Jennifer Smith of Nashville, and I hope to hear back from Minnesota and Naptown soon. I'll be sending out a few more interview requests today and hope to hear back from them soon.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
DNN's latest power rankings - October 2010
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association's regional tournaments (North Central, East, West and South Central) are over and the top 12 competitors will make their way to Chicago in a few weeks to square off on the track for the WFTDA championship, the Hydra Trophy.
Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Rocky Mountain, Oly, Bay Area Derby, Kansas City, Texas and Nashville all earn the top three spots in their respective regions to advance into the single elimination tournament.
The No. 1 seeds will all get a first-day bye, as the No. 2 seed of one region will play the No. 3 seed of another, the winner of that matchup will play the No. 1 seed of yet another region on Day 2.
If I read the matchups correctly:
Gotham will play the winner of Texas and Bay Area; Rocky will play the winner of Minnesota and Charm City; Kansas City will play the Philly-Madison winner; and after Nashville and Oly play, Windy City will get that winner.
With the tournament matchups determined and the regional tournaments over, Derby News Network, one of the premiere derby coverage websites, has released its post-region power rankings.
The biggest surprises: Rocky overtakes Oly as the No. 1 in the DNN rankings, sending the defending champions to the No. 3 spot below Gotham. Nashville (SC3), Minnesota (NC2) and Naptown (NC5) all leap into the field, as Naptown cracks the DNN25 spot. Cincinnati (NC4) jumps 3 spots to DNN16, Nashville, who fought their way into the No. 3 spot in the SouthWest Central, gets the DNN18 spot (CLARIFICATION: Nashville was previously ranked No. 18 in April 2010). And Minnesota gets the DNN14 spot. Carolina makes it back into the field at DNN23. (The regional standings reflect tournament finishes and not WFTDA rankings in that region.
The South Central Region has lost a step with the exit of Dallas, Houston and Tampa after Amber Waves of Pain, WFTDA's SC regional tournament. The North Central picks up a few more Top 25 representatives and not much as changed for the West and Eastern regions.
Enter my opinion:
Looking at the championship tournament bracket, there's some disparity between the first day's matchups as Madison and Nashville will be considerable underdogs. Minnesota actually lucked out getting Charm City in the first round via the random lottery. The Day 1 bouts will be interesting to see how the point spread will fall.
Watching the South Central Region this weekend, I watched as teams like Knoxville and Memphis made valiant efforts against their big sisters at Amber Waves of Pain. But there was a pretty definitive split in the region. Neither Knoxville nor Memphis could improve their rankings. No Coast managed a decent jump but stayed toward of the middle of the field with the likes of Tampa, Dallas and Houston. Nashville was the only team able to escape the middle ground to put Atlanta to a test.
Kansas City and Texas remained at the top. As I was watching Knoxville and Tampa bout, I had a brief conversation with a Hard Knox fan about the region. "We're supposedly the weak region," he said. "I don't know how any region with Texas and Dallas could be weak," I replied, explaining that Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston are all tough competition. There's definitely some disparity, but my solution would be that some of the Top teams in the nation would actually form their own division, holding their own smaller tournament, while the rest of the derby world holds their own division, regional playoffs and tournaments for top spots.
I'm not criticizing how the tournament is structured now, but after watching both North Central and South Central regions live, and the West and East regionals via webcast, it looks as if the top teams remain the top teams, and they'll continue to dominate the rest of the field.
Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Rocky Mountain, Oly, Bay Area Derby, Kansas City, Texas and Nashville all earn the top three spots in their respective regions to advance into the single elimination tournament.
The No. 1 seeds will all get a first-day bye, as the No. 2 seed of one region will play the No. 3 seed of another, the winner of that matchup will play the No. 1 seed of yet another region on Day 2.
If I read the matchups correctly:
Gotham will play the winner of Texas and Bay Area; Rocky will play the winner of Minnesota and Charm City; Kansas City will play the Philly-Madison winner; and after Nashville and Oly play, Windy City will get that winner.
With the tournament matchups determined and the regional tournaments over, Derby News Network, one of the premiere derby coverage websites, has released its post-region power rankings.
The biggest surprises: Rocky overtakes Oly as the No. 1 in the DNN rankings, sending the defending champions to the No. 3 spot below Gotham. Nashville (SC3), Minnesota (NC2) and Naptown (NC5) all leap into the field, as Naptown cracks the DNN25 spot. Cincinnati (NC4) jumps 3 spots to DNN16, Nashville, who fought their way into the No. 3 spot in the South
The South Central Region has lost a step with the exit of Dallas, Houston and Tampa after Amber Waves of Pain, WFTDA's SC regional tournament. The North Central picks up a few more Top 25 representatives and not much as changed for the West and Eastern regions.
Enter my opinion:
Looking at the championship tournament bracket, there's some disparity between the first day's matchups as Madison and Nashville will be considerable underdogs. Minnesota actually lucked out getting Charm City in the first round via the random lottery. The Day 1 bouts will be interesting to see how the point spread will fall.
Watching the South Central Region this weekend, I watched as teams like Knoxville and Memphis made valiant efforts against their big sisters at Amber Waves of Pain. But there was a pretty definitive split in the region. Neither Knoxville nor Memphis could improve their rankings. No Coast managed a decent jump but stayed toward of the middle of the field with the likes of Tampa, Dallas and Houston. Nashville was the only team able to escape the middle ground to put Atlanta to a test.
Kansas City and Texas remained at the top. As I was watching Knoxville and Tampa bout, I had a brief conversation with a Hard Knox fan about the region. "We're supposedly the weak region," he said. "I don't know how any region with Texas and Dallas could be weak," I replied, explaining that Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston are all tough competition. There's definitely some disparity, but my solution would be that some of the Top teams in the nation would actually form their own division, holding their own smaller tournament, while the rest of the derby world holds their own division, regional playoffs and tournaments for top spots.
I'm not criticizing how the tournament is structured now, but after watching both North Central and South Central regions live, and the West and East regionals via webcast, it looks as if the top teams remain the top teams, and they'll continue to dominate the rest of the field.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The South Central Three Stars
Five Point Grand Slam will name three players from each bout we cover, or in the event of a tournament three players per day/tournament. Here are Five Point Grand Slam's three stars from each day of Amber Waves of Pain, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's South Central Region tournament.
Friday
1st Star
Lucille Brawl, No. 56, blocker, Texacutioners
Lucille Brawl, lead Texas' defensive contingent holding No Coast to a cringe-inducing lead jammer ration of 3/19 and 11 points in the first half, and just 50 points for the entire game. Brawl dominated the top of the pack throwing big hits with solid timing, several times springing her jammer -- and managing a jammer takeout just when her unsuspecting opponent thought she was free and clear.
2nd Star
Beverly Kills, No. 9021, blocker/jammer, Houston
Kills, Houston's utility player put up decent numbers as a jammer, but it was her play as an all-around player that benefited her team. Proficient in the defensive and offensive aspects of the game, Kills could switch from one aspect to the other instantly. She earned lead five out of nine times, going four-for-four on LJs in the second half. The three jams she did not earn lead, she hurried to re-engage the pack on her scoring pass -- forcing the opposing jammer to call it and only going minus 9 in those three turns, minimizing the point damage of her jamming counterpart.
3rd Star
Wild Cherri, No. 6, blocker, Tampa Tantrums
Cherri's unconventional blocking tactics and front walls held Kansas City's offense to a dismall few points, got Tampa's jammer through and created a decisive point swing in the first four jams before Kansas City could mount its comeback. Constantly seen at the front of the pack, Cherri could switch from forward to backward skating, giving the track general great perspective to position her charges to best block the oncoming jammer. Cherri, often the last line of defense, would continue blocking the opposing jammer while skating backward, frustrating many a point scorer and imposing the Tampa blocker's intimidation in the minds of Kansas City's seasoned vets.
The KC's pack work rattled the Atlanta defense that had looked phenomenal on the first day with its 2-, 3- and 4-walls at the top of the pack. Returning to game play after serving a penalty, Eclipse, No. 0, dropped a big hit on an ATL blocker, rattling her pretty good. Bruz-Her, No. 244, and Kansas City's alternate captain, executed a nice hit/whip combo at the top of the pack to give KC jammer Track Rat, No. 69, lead jammer. Eclipse again made her presence felt in Jam 15 of the second half, when she opened up a huge hole with a hit during Track Rat's second scoring pass during a power jam as Demi Gore, Atlanta's No. 1428, had picked up her fourth minor for a track cut. KC went 4-5-2 in scoring passes that jam, and blanked Atlanta. The Roller Warriors held Atlanta to 36 points in the first half and 39 in the second. Atlanta earned lead jammer only 12 times on 25 attempts, and were blanked 16 times, including during the first four jams, and later 10 times consecutively from Jam 11-20. The Kansas City defense only allowed Atlanta one multiple scoring pass in the 24th jam of the second half, when Wheelin' Jennings went on a 5-5 run during two scoring passes and a power jam when KC's Jade Lightning, No. 816, was boxed on a major back block.
While she started out a little slow, started getting the ball rolling when she scored 2 points against Memphis captain Rolls Royce, No. 314, who had earned lead jammer but was unable to capitalize and had to call the jam to stem a negative point differential. With the score 70-53 in favor of Dallas, Teacher would help her team pull away by earning lead jammer and scoring four consecutive grand slams against Rolls Royce, who never made it out of the pack. Memphis would call a timeout to try to regroup before the half, but in the next jam only managed to score 7 points with lead jammer, but Dallas' Miley Virus, No. 28, would answer with 4 points of her own to end the first half with 94 points for Dallas to Memphis' 60 points. In the fifth jam of the second half, Teacher would again earn lead and go on a 5-5-5-5-0 run with Memphis jammer Lil' Cinner, No. 24 boxed for a major cut, extending the Dallas lead to 136-64. Teacher would go on to earn lead jammer in four out of five jams including one in the ninth jam of the second half in which she was able to pick up lead coming out of the box against Lil' Cinner who had lost LJ eligibility because of a no pass/no penalty call. Teacher would call it before either jammer was able to complete a scoring pass. Teacher earned lead in her last three jams, picking up 14 points and two grand slams for Dallas who eventually won 205-95.
This star was the hardest star to give because arriving late, I didn't keep my own notes. I really do feel that if anyone deserved some honorable mention it was Hard Knox's Goblynn. Goblynn didn't have a spectacular bout, but neither did her team, as the Tampa Tantrums elevated their defensive game, played a heavy jammer rotation of Little A, Ram 'em Noodle and Sixgun Suzie, and shut down most Knoxville scoring opportunities. Tampa had a 128-28 lead at the half and poured on the pressure. Goblynn never gave up, jamming heavy rotations for Knoxville, and getting a few turns in as blocker after coming out of the box from intentionally acquiring her fourth minor, freeing her to jam more. When she did earn lead, she was forced to call it with the Tampa jammer right behind her to maximize the point differential in Knoxville's favor, showing her constant awareness of jammer positions. Tampa would go on to win 232 to 53, but the heart and tenacity of Goblynn was gleaming as she earned lead in the last jam, refusing to call it after picking up four points and subsequently got called on a penalty and sent to the box. Goblynn didn't put up spectacular numbers or was super effective against Tampa, but her "never say die" attitude helped keep the spirits of her teammates up, and in a 100-point-plus blowout that's incredibly hard to do.
Flash Gloria overcame a slow start, dropping the first jam 0-3 against Tampa's Little A. Gloria would start the momentum swinging in No Coast's favor, putting up a 4-0 jam near the end of the first half to put No Coast within 4 of Tampa at 22-18. Gloria would put up a 15-0 jam against Bash 'em Up Barbie, after the Tampa jammer failed to realize she had earned lead jammer status and later was boxed for a penalty and giving No Coast a power jam, and a 97-71 lead. No Coast's pack work smothered the opposing Tampa jammer and Gloria put up a 14-0 point jam. Gloria jammed a good majority of her team's turns and was able to capitalize even without the aid of lead jammer.
Friday
1st StarLucille Brawl, No. 56, blocker, Texacutioners
Lucille Brawl, lead Texas' defensive contingent holding No Coast to a cringe-inducing lead jammer ration of 3/19 and 11 points in the first half, and just 50 points for the entire game. Brawl dominated the top of the pack throwing big hits with solid timing, several times springing her jammer -- and managing a jammer takeout just when her unsuspecting opponent thought she was free and clear.
Beverly Kills, No. 9021, blocker/jammer, Houston
Kills, Houston's utility player put up decent numbers as a jammer, but it was her play as an all-around player that benefited her team. Proficient in the defensive and offensive aspects of the game, Kills could switch from one aspect to the other instantly. She earned lead five out of nine times, going four-for-four on LJs in the second half. The three jams she did not earn lead, she hurried to re-engage the pack on her scoring pass -- forcing the opposing jammer to call it and only going minus 9 in those three turns, minimizing the point damage of her jamming counterpart.
Wild Cherri, No. 6, blocker, Tampa Tantrums
Cherri's unconventional blocking tactics and front walls held Kansas City's offense to a dismall few points, got Tampa's jammer through and created a decisive point swing in the first four jams before Kansas City could mount its comeback. Constantly seen at the front of the pack, Cherri could switch from forward to backward skating, giving the track general great perspective to position her charges to best block the oncoming jammer. Cherri, often the last line of defense, would continue blocking the opposing jammer while skating backward, frustrating many a point scorer and imposing the Tampa blocker's intimidation in the minds of Kansas City's seasoned vets.
Saturday
1st Star
Kansas City's pack, Kansas City Roller Warriors
The KC's pack work rattled the Atlanta defense that had looked phenomenal on the first day with its 2-, 3- and 4-walls at the top of the pack. Returning to game play after serving a penalty, Eclipse, No. 0, dropped a big hit on an ATL blocker, rattling her pretty good. Bruz-Her, No. 244, and Kansas City's alternate captain, executed a nice hit/whip combo at the top of the pack to give KC jammer Track Rat, No. 69, lead jammer. Eclipse again made her presence felt in Jam 15 of the second half, when she opened up a huge hole with a hit during Track Rat's second scoring pass during a power jam as Demi Gore, Atlanta's No. 1428, had picked up her fourth minor for a track cut. KC went 4-5-2 in scoring passes that jam, and blanked Atlanta. The Roller Warriors held Atlanta to 36 points in the first half and 39 in the second. Atlanta earned lead jammer only 12 times on 25 attempts, and were blanked 16 times, including during the first four jams, and later 10 times consecutively from Jam 11-20. The Kansas City defense only allowed Atlanta one multiple scoring pass in the 24th jam of the second half, when Wheelin' Jennings went on a 5-5 run during two scoring passes and a power jam when KC's Jade Lightning, No. 816, was boxed on a major back block.2nd Day
Hot For Teacher, No. 100, jammer, Dallas Derby Devils
3rd Star
Goblynn, No. 39, jammer/sometimes blocker, Hard Knox Rollergirls
Sunday
1st Star
Flash Gloria, jammer, No. 32, No Coast Derby Girls' Mad Maxines
2nd Star
Belle Star, No. 1889, blocker, Texas Rollergirls' Texecutioners
Jammer killer (as proclaimed by Chip Queso) Belle Star decimated opponents at the back and front of the pack, easily blocking and slowing down opposing jammers. If roller derby had a libero, a defensive specialist in volleyball, Star would indeed be it, with her imposing stature and blocking experience. Belle easily made a difference in the strength of her packs, as Texas' overall defensiveness stuttered when the jammer killer picked up time in the penalty box. She'll be one of the players to watch as Texas enters first round play during WFTDA's championship tournament in Chicago.
3rd Star
Knox Villain, No. 865, blocker, Knoxville's Hard Knox Roller Girls
Another standout during the tournament was Knoxville's No. 865 Knox Villain, who on several instances throughout the three-day weekend served her team well at the top of the pack. Wearing the pivot cover, Knox Villain often pulled back-to-back rotations in the pack. Though she's small in stature in comparison to most of the other players at South Central regionals, she played smart often trapping the jammer at the top and holding her long enough for her jammer to get by or sucking the opposing jammer back into the pack. During her team's last bout against Memphis, Knox Villian held back Memphis' captain and No. 314, Rolls Royce easily 1 to 2 full laps, long enough to get lead jammer for her recycled skater and make a scoring pass. Later Knox Villain paired up with one of Knoxville's heavy hitters, Sushi Roll, No. 2, at the top of the pack, holding excellent defensive positioning, and controlling the pack tempo. Knox Villain's game play earned her a bout MVP at the end of the night.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The championship invitations are punched
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region tournament, is over, determining the final spots in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's championship tournament.
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Lincoln on my mind
As you read this, fivepointgrandslam.com is on our way to Lincoln, Nebraska, for Amber Waves of Pain, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's South Central Regional Tournament, which will determine the final three invites to WFTDA's championship tournament in Chicago.
Lincoln, about five hours away from our Quad-Cities, is a great place to host the region's tournament and I'm looking forward to spending some time there again.
I was there at the end of June when the Quad-City Rollers played the No Coast Roller Girls B-team, the Road Warriors. While there, I got to watch Lincoln and Omaha play in the full-length WFTDA bout. I'm anxious to see No Coast play again. But beyond that, this will be my first opportunity to watch Texas and Kansas City, easily two of the top 10 teams in the U.S. Waves of Pain will also be an opportunity to watch several other teams I've never seen before.
Fivepointgrandslam.com is anxious to get to Nebraska and get some additional coverage to our blog. I'm hoping to get a couple of interviews while I'm out there and also meeting up with some old friends.
Lincoln, about five hours away from our Quad-Cities, is a great place to host the region's tournament and I'm looking forward to spending some time there again.
I was there at the end of June when the Quad-City Rollers played the No Coast Roller Girls B-team, the Road Warriors. While there, I got to watch Lincoln and Omaha play in the full-length WFTDA bout. I'm anxious to see No Coast play again. But beyond that, this will be my first opportunity to watch Texas and Kansas City, easily two of the top 10 teams in the U.S. Waves of Pain will also be an opportunity to watch several other teams I've never seen before.
Fivepointgrandslam.com is anxious to get to Nebraska and get some additional coverage to our blog. I'm hoping to get a couple of interviews while I'm out there and also meeting up with some old friends.
Bring on the pain
After a weekend of surprising upsets at Rollin' on the River 2010, the best in the west are heading to Chicago.
Rocky Mountain ended Oly's 22-bout win streak to snatch the No. 1 seed going into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's Championship Tournament on November 5-7. Oly was unable to ride its 287 point differential from its first two games to a first place finish, upset in the last game 127-86, despite several lead changes.
Bay Area Derby overcame it's 6th seed in the Western Region, upsetting Denver in the first round 132-128. BAD lost to eventual champion Rocky in the second round, but then took third place in the tournament with a win over Rose City.
Now the action turns to the Midwest once again as the regional tournament stops in the land of Nebraska for the final WFTDA regional tournament.
The No Coast Roller Girls will host Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region Tournament on October 8-10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Tournament staples Texas and Kansas City look to maintain their roller derby dominance, and take two of the top spots into Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago.
Thus far the No. 1 seed has made it into the the top three of each region, thus securing a bid in the championship tournament. Gotham and Windy City maintained their lock on the No. 1 seed, and secure a first-round bye in Chicago. Rocky and it's upset of Oly will get the bye after taking first place in the West.
Three more spots in the championship tournament remain open as the Top 10 teams in the South Central Region vie for a spot in the (inter)national spotlight.
Both Kansas City and Texas have won the WFTDA national championship previously, before the inception of the Hydra Trophy. Texas became the first WFTDA champion ever in 2006, while Kansas City won a year later in 2007.
Texas advanced to the final game in the 2009 WFTDA national tournament at Declaration of Derby in Philadelphia, losing to Oly Rollers 179-100 in the championship game, and thus earning second place in the tournament.
South Central No. 1 seed Texas looks like a shoe-in.
"All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse!" says Christine "Sylvia Bullet" Newell, No Coast blocker. "I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset."
Bay Area Derby, originally ranked sixth in the Western Region, and Minnesota, originally ranked seventh in the North Central Region, both managed key upsets to place into the championship tournament.
Underdogs No Coast are keeping their focus positive on their chances in the South Central Region.
"Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November," Newell says. "To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean, and stay focused."
No Coast will have to beat Hard Knox, No. 9 seed in the first round of the South Central, to get a chance to play Texas, No. 10 in the nation according to Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings.
"We aren't looking past Hard Knox, but we are planning on playing Texas and are looking forward to it," Newell says.
Atlanta Rollergirls will face the winner of the first round matchup between Houston and Memphis. Other Amber Waves of Pain participants include Dallas Derby Devils, Nashville Roller Girls, and Tampa Bay Derby Darlins..
South Central Rankings
SC01 Texas Rollergirls (DNN 10)
SC02 Atlanta Rollergirls (DNN 20)
SC03 Kansas City Roller Warriors (DNN 18)
SC04 Dallas Derby Devils (DNN 25)
SC05 Nashville Roller Girls
SC06 Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (DNN 24)
SC07 Houston Roller Derby
SC08 No Coast Roller Girls
SC09 Hard Knox Roller Girls
SC10 Memphis Roller Derby
Top 3 finishes per region
Here are the top three finishes for each region. The number one seed for each region gets a bye in the first round of the championship tournament. The No. 2 seed from each region will play a No. 3 seed from a different region. Teams seeded No. 2 or No. 3 will have to play three games if they want to make it to championship finals and a loss in the first round will knock them out completely. Second round losers will still get an opportunity to play for third place.
Rocky Mountain ended Oly's 22-bout win streak to snatch the No. 1 seed going into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's Championship Tournament on November 5-7. Oly was unable to ride its 287 point differential from its first two games to a first place finish, upset in the last game 127-86, despite several lead changes.
Bay Area Derby overcame it's 6th seed in the Western Region, upsetting Denver in the first round 132-128. BAD lost to eventual champion Rocky in the second round, but then took third place in the tournament with a win over Rose City.
Now the action turns to the Midwest once again as the regional tournament stops in the land of Nebraska for the final WFTDA regional tournament.
The No Coast Roller Girls will host Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region Tournament on October 8-10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Tournament staples Texas and Kansas City look to maintain their roller derby dominance, and take two of the top spots into Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago.
Thus far the No. 1 seed has made it into the the top three of each region, thus securing a bid in the championship tournament. Gotham and Windy City maintained their lock on the No. 1 seed, and secure a first-round bye in Chicago. Rocky and it's upset of Oly will get the bye after taking first place in the West.
Three more spots in the championship tournament remain open as the Top 10 teams in the South Central Region vie for a spot in the (inter)national spotlight.
Both Kansas City and Texas have won the WFTDA national championship previously, before the inception of the Hydra Trophy. Texas became the first WFTDA champion ever in 2006, while Kansas City won a year later in 2007.
Texas advanced to the final game in the 2009 WFTDA national tournament at Declaration of Derby in Philadelphia, losing to Oly Rollers 179-100 in the championship game, and thus earning second place in the tournament.
South Central No. 1 seed Texas looks like a shoe-in.
"All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse!" says Christine "Sylvia Bullet" Newell, No Coast blocker. "I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset."
Bay Area Derby, originally ranked sixth in the Western Region, and Minnesota, originally ranked seventh in the North Central Region, both managed key upsets to place into the championship tournament.
Underdogs No Coast are keeping their focus positive on their chances in the South Central Region.
"Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November," Newell says. "To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean, and stay focused."
No Coast will have to beat Hard Knox, No. 9 seed in the first round of the South Central, to get a chance to play Texas, No. 10 in the nation according to Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings.
"We aren't looking past Hard Knox, but we are planning on playing Texas and are looking forward to it," Newell says.
Atlanta Rollergirls will face the winner of the first round matchup between Houston and Memphis. Other Amber Waves of Pain participants include Dallas Derby Devils, Nashville Roller Girls, and Tampa Bay Derby Darlins..
South Central Rankings
SC01 Texas Rollergirls (DNN 10)
SC02 Atlanta Rollergirls (DNN 20)
SC03 Kansas City Roller Warriors (DNN 18)
SC04 Dallas Derby Devils (DNN 25)
SC05 Nashville Roller Girls
SC06 Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (DNN 24)
SC07 Houston Roller Derby
SC08 No Coast Roller Girls
SC09 Hard Knox Roller Girls
SC10 Memphis Roller Derby
Top 3 finishes per region
Here are the top three finishes for each region. The number one seed for each region gets a bye in the first round of the championship tournament. The No. 2 seed from each region will play a No. 3 seed from a different region. Teams seeded No. 2 or No. 3 will have to play three games if they want to make it to championship finals and a loss in the first round will knock them out completely. Second round losers will still get an opportunity to play for third place.
South Central region, Oct. 8-10, 2010
1. To be determined
2. To be determined
3. To be determined
Western region, Sept. 29-31, 2010
1. Rocky Mountain (W2, DNN3)
2. Oly (W1, DNN2)
3. B.A.D. (W6, DNN8)
Eastern region, Sept. 22-24, 2010
1. Gotham (E1, DNN1)
2. Philly (E2, DNN4)
3. Charm City (Baltimore) (E4, DNN9)
North Central, Sept. 10-12, 2010
1. Windy City (Chicago) (NC1, DNN11)
2. Minnesota (NC7)
3. Dairyland Dolls (Madison) (NC3, DNN14)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
No Coast answers 5 Questions
Lincoln, Nebraska, hosts the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's South Central Region Tournament on October 8-10. Sylvia Bullet and The Bone Setter, from host league No Coast Roller Girls, answer 5 Questions and preview some of the action this weekend.
NAME: Christine Newell
Question: Minnesota was ranked No. 7 in the North Central Regionals, at a No. 8 seed, what does No Coast have to do to make it to championships in Chicago?
Answer: Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November. To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean and stay focused.
Q: What team in the South Central regionals would you most want to play and why?
A: No Coast would love a rematch with Tampa -- we’ve been narrowly beaten by them twice now and are aching to set it right.
Q: How is your regular season structured? Have you been playing any games while the regional tournaments have been going on in preparation for South Centrals?
A: The No Coast Derby Girls have an All Star travel team, The Mad Maxines and a B team, The Road Warriors. This last year our season began in March with the Clover Cup in Dallas and we had our last home game at the end of August against Pikes Peak. For our 2011 season we plan to schedule at least one more bout in September leading up to Regionals. Sioux Falls had a cancellation in early September so we did get to play their B Team, the Killa Bees – they told us to go easy on them ;)
Q: The number one seeds for North Central and Eastern regionals have both advanced to Chicago. What are Texas' chances of holding on to the No. 1 seed and advancing as first place in the South Central Regionals.
A: Texas has to get past our bodies of steel, hits of dynamite and stealthy feet first! ;) All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse! I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset.
Q: What three songs/artists psyche you up on the dance floor?
A: Our intro "Imma Be" by the Black Eyed Peas, "If You Want Blood You've Got It" by AC/DC and "Swing" by Savage. Lookout -- No Coast has a way of winning afterparty!
NAME: Kari Bennett
DERBY NAME/NUMBER: The Bonesetter, 206
Q: DNN's power rankings have five of the top 25 teams in the nation seeded in the South Central regional tournament. What does that say about the depth of your region? How do you think it compares to the other regions?
A: As of now, 6 of the top 10 teams hail from the Western region the western teams are really running it this year! But the beautiful thing about roller derby is it is constantly morphing. Teams come up with new strategies all the time and we all know the rules are ever changing! ;)
Q: What's next for the South Central Region?
A: A few teams in our region have had some roster changes and others are just finding their niche and hitting their stride. I think in the next couple of years you'll see some up and coming derby teams hailing from the South Central region.
Q: What is the most difficult part of your job on game day? How does being in a tournament change that?
A: Generally keeping the girls in high spirits is pretty easy on bout day! When you spend all of your free time at practice, everyone is always ready to bout! Being in a tournament is exciting, overwhelming and full of ups and downs. We are going to focus on each girl as an individual and let them do what they need to do to be ready to roll!!
Q: Do you have a potty mouth?
A: Fuck yeah!
Q: What's your favorite snack to eat?
A: Peaches and cottage cheese.
NAME: Christine NewellDERBY NAME/NUMBER: Sylvia Bullet, .45
FROM: Lincoln, Nebraska
POSITIONS: Currently a blocker, during my first four seasons I was primarily a jammer.
QUOTE: "If you want to make an omelet you’ve got to break some eggs."
FROM: Lincoln, Nebraska
POSITIONS: Currently a blocker, during my first four seasons I was primarily a jammer.
QUOTE: "If you want to make an omelet you’ve got to break some eggs."
Question: Minnesota was ranked No. 7 in the North Central Regionals, at a No. 8 seed, what does No Coast have to do to make it to championships in Chicago?
Answer: Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November. To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean and stay focused.
Q: What team in the South Central regionals would you most want to play and why?
A: No Coast would love a rematch with Tampa -- we’ve been narrowly beaten by them twice now and are aching to set it right.
Q: How is your regular season structured? Have you been playing any games while the regional tournaments have been going on in preparation for South Centrals?
A: The No Coast Derby Girls have an All Star travel team, The Mad Maxines and a B team, The Road Warriors. This last year our season began in March with the Clover Cup in Dallas and we had our last home game at the end of August against Pikes Peak. For our 2011 season we plan to schedule at least one more bout in September leading up to Regionals. Sioux Falls had a cancellation in early September so we did get to play their B Team, the Killa Bees – they told us to go easy on them ;)
Q: The number one seeds for North Central and Eastern regionals have both advanced to Chicago. What are Texas' chances of holding on to the No. 1 seed and advancing as first place in the South Central Regionals.
A: Texas has to get past our bodies of steel, hits of dynamite and stealthy feet first! ;) All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse! I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset.
Q: What three songs/artists psyche you up on the dance floor?
A: Our intro "Imma Be" by the Black Eyed Peas, "If You Want Blood You've Got It" by AC/DC and "Swing" by Savage. Lookout -- No Coast has a way of winning afterparty!
DERBY NAME/NUMBER: The Bonesetter, 206
Q: DNN's power rankings have five of the top 25 teams in the nation seeded in the South Central regional tournament. What does that say about the depth of your region? How do you think it compares to the other regions?
A: As of now, 6 of the top 10 teams hail from the Western region the western teams are really running it this year! But the beautiful thing about roller derby is it is constantly morphing. Teams come up with new strategies all the time and we all know the rules are ever changing! ;)
Q: What's next for the South Central Region?
A: A few teams in our region have had some roster changes and others are just finding their niche and hitting their stride. I think in the next couple of years you'll see some up and coming derby teams hailing from the South Central region.
Q: What is the most difficult part of your job on game day? How does being in a tournament change that?
A: Generally keeping the girls in high spirits is pretty easy on bout day! When you spend all of your free time at practice, everyone is always ready to bout! Being in a tournament is exciting, overwhelming and full of ups and downs. We are going to focus on each girl as an individual and let them do what they need to do to be ready to roll!!
Q: Do you have a potty mouth?
A: Fuck yeah!
Q: What's your favorite snack to eat?
A: Peaches and cottage cheese.
WFTDA adds 3 Iowa teams to its Apprentice Program
In a state that's known mostly for football, wrestling and corn, Iowa gains some credibility as a roller derby state.
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association, or WFTDA, has announced it's newest inductees into the WFTDA apprentice league program, naming three teams from Iowa to its rolls.
Old Capitol City Roller Girls (Iowa City), Mid Iowa Rollers (Des Moines) and the Des Moines Derby Dames were all named with seven other teams in October 2010. They join the ranks of 53 apprentice teams that now appreciate the benefits of WFTDA mentoring.
OCCRG, MIR and D3 join an apprentice class that's filled with international flavor. Three European leagues -- Auld Reekie Roller Girls, of Edinburgh, U.K., Bear City Roller Derby, of Berlin, Germany, and Paris Rollergirls, of Paris, France -- join the apprentice program in October 2010 with Terminal City Rollergirls, of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Prior to WFTDA's latest apprentice program announcement, 10 roller derby leagues hail from Iowa, including veteran leagues such as Sioux City Roller Dames and Cedar Rapids Rollergirls.
As the game continues to evolve and grow, more teams will look to join the apprentice program, and still more teams will continue to form.
Eventually OCCRG, MIR and D3 will likely eye a joining the ranks of WFTDA-sanctioned teams and bout higher level teams, possibly joining the Region tournaments, which end this year in Chicago in November.
Find a list of Iowa roller derby teams here: http://iowarollerderbydiaries.blogspot.com/
The WFTDA Apprentice League announcement: http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-program-welcomes-10-new-leagues-october-2010
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association, or WFTDA, has announced it's newest inductees into the WFTDA apprentice league program, naming three teams from Iowa to its rolls.
Old Capitol City Roller Girls (Iowa City), Mid Iowa Rollers (Des Moines) and the Des Moines Derby Dames were all named with seven other teams in October 2010. They join the ranks of 53 apprentice teams that now appreciate the benefits of WFTDA mentoring.
OCCRG, MIR and D3 join an apprentice class that's filled with international flavor. Three European leagues -- Auld Reekie Roller Girls, of Edinburgh, U.K., Bear City Roller Derby, of Berlin, Germany, and Paris Rollergirls, of Paris, France -- join the apprentice program in October 2010 with Terminal City Rollergirls, of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Prior to WFTDA's latest apprentice program announcement, 10 roller derby leagues hail from Iowa, including veteran leagues such as Sioux City Roller Dames and Cedar Rapids Rollergirls.
As the game continues to evolve and grow, more teams will look to join the apprentice program, and still more teams will continue to form.
Eventually OCCRG, MIR and D3 will likely eye a joining the ranks of WFTDA-sanctioned teams and bout higher level teams, possibly joining the Region tournaments, which end this year in Chicago in November.
Find a list of Iowa roller derby teams here: http://iowarollerderbydiaries.blogspot.com/
The WFTDA Apprentice League announcement: http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-program-welcomes-10-new-leagues-october-2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Building a better box score
Several teams, particularly up-and-coming teams, contact their local papers to get coverage and promote their sport and upcoming bouts. Unfortunately, many newspapers and television stations still treat roller derby as a niche sport, the latest fad and treat it little more than a club sport.
Teams often expect reporters to just show up to a bout, but when most events are held on a Saturday, derby gets left at the bottom where the news cycle is concerned. Bouts often fall on days in which a newspaper operates on a skeleton crew, with just a few reporters and photographers working that day. Work itineraries are budgeted several days in advance, so unless you've invited a reporter to come out to the event -- sometimes bribing them with comp tickets or media passes -- it's likely that no one from your local paper will show up.
To start building interest in your sport, it can be incredibly beneficial to start providing box scores to your local newspapers. Box scores are the easiest way to get your name in the paper because sports desks are almost always looking for things to fill their agate pages (those pages with the teeny tiny type regarding scores from area and major league sports).
Here’s a simple rule to remember: The quicker you get your box score to the paper the better. If you wait until the next day to submit it, the box score has a greater chance of getting tossed in the trash. Immediacy is your friend.
Also don't simply choose to send the box scores in which you win or just the home games. Anytime your team plays -- home or away, win or lose -- someone from your league should be able to provide a quick and easy box score. Thanks to smart phones and wireless Internet, this has become incredibly easy to do, it just takes some coordinating with your NSO staff or the staff of your host team if its an away game.
The most basic box score should provide some key information: The name of the bout, the date, what city the game is played (even if it's a home game). Such information is important once you build a relationship with the paper and they decide to call your media representative to write up a gamer -- a brief story about the game. Time, date, place, the teams that played are all important. Next you want to list the teams playing and if the name of the home cities isn’t included in their names, set the hometowns off in parentheses.
Ex. The Dairyland Dolls (Madison, Wisconsin)
Not everyone knows where the Circle City Socialites or Charm City skaters are from. Even the most astute fans may not make the connection of Circle City to Indianapolis, or Charm City to Baltimore.
Next break down the score by period and total so that it's the points from the first half, second half and the final (for added emphasis you can bold the final score: XX-XX XX
My favorite down and dirty box score looks like this:
Bout nameDateLocationDairyland Dolls (Madison, Wisconsin): XX-XX XXWindy City All Stars (Chicago, Illinois) XX-XX XX
Second if time permits, I definitely recommend poring over the jammer stats and find the top three jammers from each team and do subsequent point breakdowns (first period, second period, total) for each.
Now, for something that will likely offend many derby girls: Instead of listing the derby names I highly recommend tracking down skaters' real names and using those. Newspapers are much more likely to print real names as opposed to derby names. Getting the real names of your team's skaters may be relatively easier than tracking down those of your opponent but the payoff will be much greater than if you simply report your own score, or use derby names. And some derby names just are print appropriate as most professional newspapers will shy away from the racier names.
Do the math as quickly as you can and then hunt those respective girls or their friends down to get their real names.
Also don't worry about working in how many jams, lead jammer percentage, grand slams ... yet. Get comfortable with getting the most basic information to your media outlets as quickly as possible. Most casual sports readers will understand a basic box score simply because it's simple. If you start throwing strange stats around you'll lose someone who might have a slight interest. Stick with standard box scores, jammer scoring by period.
Second if time permits, I definitely recommend poring over the jammer stats and find the top three jammers from each team and do subsequent point breakdowns (first period, second period, total) for each.
Now, for something that will likely offend many derby girls: Instead of listing the derby names I highly recommend tracking down skaters' real names and using those. Newspapers are much more likely to print real names as opposed to derby names. Getting the real names of your team's skaters may be relatively easier than tracking down those of your opponent but the payoff will be much greater than if you simply report your own score, or use derby names. And some derby names just are print appropriate as most professional newspapers will shy away from the racier names.
Do the math as quickly as you can and then hunt those respective girls or their friends down to get their real names.
Also don't worry about working in how many jams, lead jammer percentage, grand slams ... yet. Get comfortable with getting the most basic information to your media outlets as quickly as possible. Most casual sports readers will understand a basic box score simply because it's simple. If you start throwing strange stats around you'll lose someone who might have a slight interest. Stick with standard box scores, jammer scoring by period.
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